Students protest gun violence, demand gun control on National School Walkout

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - New Orleans Students took part in nationwide organized school walkouts Wednesday to protest gun violence.

The demonstrations come on the one month anniversary of the Parkland, Florida school shooting that claimed 17 lives.

There was a big turnout at Inspire Nola's Edna Karr High School. More than a hundred students protested gun violence and demanded gun control as part of an organized school walkout.

They were carrying signs with messages like "enough is enough," "I shouldn't be afraid to go to school," and "how much blood will it take."

Teachers also demonstrated. One teacher had a sign that read "arm teachers with funds, don't arm us with guns."

Wednesday's walkout in Algiers was part of a national movement called "The ENOUGH National School Walkout."

Students across the country walked out of their classrooms Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. local time until 10:17 a.m., that's one minute to honor each of the 17 victims killed in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

"They need to know that it is a serious situation that needs to be handled accordingly and immediately," said Edna Karr student, Deonta Mitchell.

"We want people to know that even though the second amendment gives us the right to bear arms no amendment is absolute," said Edna Karr student, Kayla White.

More than 35,000 students in Archdiocese of New Orleans schools also took part, but they had their own take on the movement.

All of the schools were asked to simultaneously hold 17 minutes of prayer.